


Ease on the Heart

by GrumpyMookie



Category: Fallout - Fandom, Fallout 4
Genre: Danse is oblivious as always, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Post-Blind Betrayal, Sexual Content, Smut, This is some fluffy smut let me tell ya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:42:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23390389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpyMookie/pseuds/GrumpyMookie
Summary: Danse is coping with some feelings after being kicked out of the brotherhood and Nora is there to help him through it.
Relationships: Paladin Danse/Female Sole Survivor, Paladin Danse/Sole Survivor (Fallout)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	Ease on the Heart

It must’ve been at least two weeks since everything fell apart. Danse couldn’t keep track of the days anymore. Everything he had ever known was viciously torn away from him and suddenly he was the one thing he was taught to hate. He wasn’t supposed to be here. There had been orders to kill him on sight. And for a moment, Danse had been at peace. He would’ve been okay to die that day. But that all changed when Nora had blasted her way into Post Bravo, begging him to change his mind. She had pulled him into a warm embrace, making his heart skip a beat, telling him that he was worth it, that he was human. She made it all make sense.  
So here he was, making Post Bravo into a temporary home, just until most of the heat had died down from this situation. Nora stopped by when she could, giving him supplies and helping him set a few things up. Recently she had brought him a bed, which he thanked her endlessly for. He didn’t know if he could thank her enough for saving his life, but he thought thanking her for a bed would be good for now.  
He hadn’t seen her for a couple days and he had started to worry. All he could do to keep his mind from wandering to her was keep busy around the bunker. There were many things for him to rearrange around the place, but he still couldn’t help but think of her. When he was still a part of the brotherhood, there was always something to do to keep his mind from thinking about her, thinking of the way he felt about her, of the way he loved her. But down here, there was almost nothing for him to do but think of her. She had saved his life and told him his life was valuable and worth saving. He had had building feelings for her even before this whole mess, but seeing the way she had cared for him really made his mind run wild about her.  
Danse hefted a sigh as he dug around in an old military trunk, seeing what would be useful and what would be junk, trying to keep his hands busy. Ever since he had been banished from the brotherhood, he had also seemed to have lost his sense of purpose. Maybe if he was able to leave this bunker and at least help around the minutemen settlements, he’d feel a little better. But Nora had told him it wasn’t safe for him out there yet. But he was feeling lonely and useless, just digging through this stupid trunk. He was just a sitting duck on the sidelines while everyone else could do something to defeat the Institute.  
His entire life he had always been a fighter, with some purpose. But for once in his life he couldn’t do anything. He couldn’t be out on the road with her, he couldn't have the life he had grown used to. He had seemed to have lost everything. Except for her.  
He dropped everything back into the trunk with a sigh, deciding he couldn’t do this anymore at the moment. So he decided to get some fresh air. Stepping one foot out the bunker shouldn’t be too much of a danger, right? Right, he decided. So he picked himself up and made his way over to the elevator, grabbing a bottle of whiskey on his way out. When the elevators opened, he saw the afternoon sun pour in through the open window and doorway of the bunker. Something about the natural beauty of the sunlight put his aching heart at ease. The warmth of the afternoon hit his face as he walked his way up slowly to the helicopter pad. He took a seat on the edge, letting his legs hang off the edge as he spun the lid of the top of the whiskey. The first sip sent a warm trail down his chest, giving him a sense of familiarity, though he couldn’t put his finger on it.  
Though his heart ached from the pain of betrayal and loneliness, the sight of the slow sunset in the wasteland put an ease on his heart. There was only one other thing that could make him feel this at peace. It was Nora. God, he missed her. He could almost think of nothing else. Every time he closed his eyes he could see her. Her warm features, warm smile, warm eyes. He could hear her soft melodic voice, the way she laughed.  
He smiled solemnly to himself and took another sip from the bottle, thinking about how he was painfully in love with her. Her determination and pure morals were what endeared him to her. She was always ready to put everyone before herself. She would do anything to do what she believed was right.  
But he felt as if he could never burden her with any confession of love. He would never want to do that to her. He felt as if it would be disrespectful to her dead husband and her lost child. She had other things plaguing her, so he would never plague her with his own feelings. They were safe in his heart forever, he thought.  
He closed his eyes and allowed himself to think of everything he had cherished before his life changed forever. And he allowed himself to think of everything he had once thought was wrong, synths, ghouls. He wouldn’t allow himself to be hypocritical anymore.  
Danse sighed, drinking some more, staring at the sunset for as long as he could.  
“Hey, Tinman!” a friendly and familiar voice called out to him.  
He turned his head and practically beamed as he saw Nora approach from down the road with a full knapsack. Her smile was bright and warm. “Hey,” he said simply as he seemed to be at a loss of words.  
She finally came up to him and sat down on the helicopter pad next to him. “Sorry it’s been a couple days, a lot has been going on with, y’know,” she chuckled, “everything, y’know?” She held her hand out to him, silently asking for the bottle. He handed it to her without question.  
“You’ve got a lot on your plate, Nora. I understand.”  
Her expression turned soft as she gazed at him. “How’ve you been? I know it can’t be easy having to keep your head down like this. Especially having to hide out in that cold bunker.”  
He shrugged and grabbed the whiskey as she handed it back to him. “I’m not complaining. It could be worse. I could be dead and in the ground right now. I’m just grateful to be here.”  
“I’m grateful that you’re here too.” Her voice was comforting as she said it.  
They sat in silence for a while, watching the sun go down over the horizon. While the warm hues in the sky turned into the dark of the night, at some point, Nora had leaned her head on his shoulder, enjoying the silence for a bit. But as the night sky came up, Nora had to sit up a little straighter.  
“I brought some dinner if you’re hungry.” She said.  
“I’m starving.” He spoke honestly. It had been since the morning since he had eaten, so he was willing to eat just anything at this point.  
Side by side they walked back to the elevator. Being back in there with her reminded him of that night when they confronted Maxson. They had walked into that elevator not expecting what had been waiting for them. But they had done it together. And now being in that elevator with her, looking at her from across the small space in the darkness, his heart swelled. He couldn’t think of anything else at that moment besides that she was incredibly beautiful.  
For the rest of the night, they enjoyed each other's company, almost as if all of their other problems had just faded away. He helped her whip up the ‘delicious’ meal of salsbury steak and fancy lad snack cakes. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful dinner. He could almost pretend that everything was normal. And in that moment it was. They laughed together, shared stories. She had even given him the privilege of hearing some of her prewar tales.  
But afterward that was when he knew she had to leave again. She started to unpack the rest of the supplies she had brought him. He helped her put everything away, feeling the loneliness come creeping back, knowing she had to leave again.  
She could sense his unease. “What’s wrong?” She asked as she set her empty knapsack on the old floor of the bunker.  
He hesitated, not wanting to unload more of his unnecessary feelings onto her. “Maybe. . .” His gaze went to his feet to her warm eyes. “Maybe you shouldn’t leave tonight. It’s quite late and might be dangerous to travel by yourself. I would feel more at ease if you were to stay here, at least until morning when it’s safe to travel.” It was a valid reason to have her stay longer, but it was far from the only reason as to why he wanted her here.  
Nora’s smile hinted that she might know the real reason, but she would never out him. “Yeah. . . you’re right.” she said. “It would be safest if I stayed.”  
He tried not to sigh in relief, but he could help the satisfied look that made its way onto his face. “Right, um, if you’d like you could take the bed, I can take the leftover sleeping bag.” If I could remember where I put the damn thing, he thought.  
So he let her get settled in the bed while he searched around for the damn sleeping bag. He had done so much digging around in this place for the last two weeks that he was starting to forget where he had put everything. He had gone a while rifling through everything that Nora had grown concerned. “Danse?”  
“Y-yeah?” He responded in slight embarrassment.  
“Stop digging around for that thing and just get in the damn bed with me.” There was a slight laugh in her tone, lightening his slightly tense mood.  
He was slightly hesitant though. Danse always feared overstepping any boundaries with her. Of course he had thought of many scenarios where he was in a bed with her, but he had always wanted to keep those scenarios in his head for fear of making her uncomfortable.  
But she had invited him and he would never imagine saying no to her. So, silently he made his way over to the bed and cautiously got under the covers with her. She scooched over slightly so that he could fit in with her. They laid on their sides, facing one another, keeping eye contact with dead silence. Yet it was a sort of comfortable silence, as it always was when they were together. But the bed was small enough and they were close enough together that he could feel her warm breath on his face.  
She was close enough that he could see every detail on her face, loving every single perfection he saw. The freckles across her nose were dusted ever so lightly on her skin, making it so hard to not kiss every single one. He could get used to being this close to her. He was not a greedy man, so being even this close was enough for him.  
Nora broke the silence by saying, “I’m sorry you have to be cooped up down here. I just want to make sure you’ll be safe out there. I can’t risk Maxson breaking his promise to spare you. . .”  
“It’s okay, Nora.” He said honestly.  
“I promise, just one more week at least. I want you to be safe.” She repeated. Nora just wanted him to be safe. His heart stuttered.  
“Nora, I’m going to be okay. No matter how many more days I have to stay down here, I’ll always be grateful to you. You’ve done so much already for me that I’ll never be able to repay you at this point. You’re a good person. And you’ve been too good to me.”  
“Danse. . .” Tears seemed to be pricking at the edges of her eyes. “I wouldn’t know what to do with myself if I had lost you that day. You. . . You mean too much to me.”  
He couldn’t stop himself as he reached his hand up to cup her cheek. “You put my heart at ease.” Danse told her honestly. “Because I know you have the best intentions and you would do anything to help someone you care about. I-” He had to cut himself off there before he got too honest.  
She brought her hand up to hold the hand that touched her cheek, her eyes hopeful. “You what?”  
He couldn’t. He was about to let slip that he was heart achingly in love with her. But he couldn’t. She still had a son to find. She still had a dead husband. He couldn’t do that to her. So he stuck with, “I will be forever in your debt because of your kindness. I wouldn’t be here without you. . .”  
Suddenly, the hand she held over his hand ran through his hair and down the back of his neck and she held it there at the base of his skull. His nerves tingled where she touched his skin. “I would burn the whole world down all over again if it meant saving you.” Her eyes burned with such an intense passion that it almost knocked him right out.  
Before he could process what she had said even more, she laid her lips over his in a searing kiss. His heart felt as if it was going to explode out of his chest as he kissed her back without anymore thought. Her fingers tangled themselves into his hair as she deepened their connection with swiping her tongue against his lower lip. HIs mind buzzed with anticipation as she pulled her body right up against his.  
Suddenly reality came crashing back as he realized just what was happening. He pulled back gently from her and looked her in the eyes. “Nora, I-I don’t understand. . .”  
“Danse, I’ve been wanting to show you just how much I care about you for a long time. . . Is it okay if I do that?”  
His mind seemed to stop running at a million miles a minute for the first time in his life. And without hesitation, he replied in a breathless tone. “Yes.”  
The next kiss they shared was very gentle compared to the first. Their lips moved together in sync and in such a sweet harmony. Danse hadn’t ever really been touched with this much care in his life. Every experience he had had with intimacy was always rushed and cold. It was never this tender and warm. He had never been touched so sweetly.  
She handled him as if he was something to take care of, like he mattered. Their tongues met and seemed to speak their language. The way they moved together was so cohesive. Like he was made to kiss her. God, he wanted to kiss her for the rest of his life.  
She touched him everywhere, as if her life depended on it. And he finally had the chance to touch her the way that he had wanted for so long. Sighs and moans filled the air of the cold, empty bunker. Though the air was cold, their skin was searing hot as they removed layers of their clothes, touching new, exposed parts of each other.  
Soon they were naked and he was kissing her breasts, taking the bud of one of her nipples into his mouth, hearing her let out a deep breath of air, showing her appreciation for his touch. “God. . . Danse. . .” She breathed out.  
As she whispered out his name he couldn’t help but rub the length of his cock up her wet slit, enjoying the way it made him shiver. He hadn’t even put it in yet and they were already shaking at the idea of it. Her eyes were hooded with lust as she gazed at him, taking his length into her hand and rubbing him slowly.  
“I want you so bad,” She whispered to him, making him lean down to kiss her with as much love here could muster without actually telling her how he felt. He slipped into her and he couldn’t help the groan that came out as he felt how warm and soft she was.  
They set a gentle pace, making love slowly. There was no haste, no rush. They just enjoyed the way their bodies melded together. His hips met hers easily and gently, it made it easy to slip his hand between them so he could rub her clit softly with his fingers. She let out a sharp breath as he touched her with earnest.  
They made love late into the night, holding each other close, not wanting to let go. But when it was all over, and they were spent, she laid her head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat start to ease itself after what they had just done. Hearing his heartbeat reminded her just how real, how human he was. He was nothing like what Maxson thought he was.  
“I love you. . .” She spoke into the silent air.  
And it was as if a weight was lifted from Danse’s chest, hearing her admit her feelings. She felt the same way. She really did. “I love you, too. . .” He told her with all the honesty he had. She looked up at him and gave him her warm smile.  
And with that, all of his worries and stress about anything that had happened just two weeks before flew out of the bunker elevator. His heart was now at ease knowing that she felt the same way about him.

**Author's Note:**

> It's not really my first time writing smut but it's my first time posting it haha so be kind to me :) I just needed a lot of fluff right now


End file.
